Staff / Samantha Shal / Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy Yolanda Marshall, center, received the Buckhead Business Association's Public Safety Award from, from left, Vice President for Public Safety Mark Shaver and President Brian Daughdrill.

The Buckhead Business Association gave out four awards Thursday at its signature luncheon at 103 West in Buckhead.

Three officers were given public safety awards for their efforts.

Investigator William J. Lyons of the Atlanta Police Department’s Zone 2, which covers Buckhead, was honored for tracking down suspects in three of four kidnapping/robbery cases taking place in the Buckhead area in March. He said he was not involved in the fourth case because it included a sexual assault.

“They [the other suspects] would kidnap the victims at gunpoint, take them to ATMs, take their wallets and cell phones and make them withdraw funds from their bank accounts,” Lyons said. “One victim they did hold hostage for 20 hours. While he was held hostage, they were using his vehicle and used his credit and debit cards to purchase items at Stonecrest Mall.”

In announcing the award, Mark Shaver, the association’s vice president of public safety, said Lyons “put in 12- to 17-hour days. He made numerous trips to Lithonia, where the mall is and where the suspects were believed to be living.”

Five suspects were identified and three — Jamaree Carroll, Steven A. Brown and Tyrone Turner — were arrested March 28, April 7 and May 30, respectively, Lyons said. He would not divulge the names of the other suspects because they are still at large. Those arrested were charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, hijacking a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and financial transaction card theft, Lyons said.

“It’s a great honor. Considering the high caliber of officers and investigators in Zone 2 [about 70 total], it means a lot to be chosen from amongst these individuals,” said Lyons, who has spent 18 years in law enforcement, including six with the Atlanta Police. “I’m thankful for all the investigators that assisted me in Zone 2 and the help from the community. The Buckhead community and several individuals in the Lithonia area were helpful to us, which made for a quick arrest.”

Fulton County Sheriff’s Deputy Yolanda Marshall was honored for saving the life of fellow deputy Roxanne Kelley, who was choking on a fish bone following her lunch break at the Fulton County Jail June 25.

“Deputy Marshall was the first person to respond and asked Officer Kelley if she was choking,” Shaver said in presenting the award. “She only nodded yes because she could not speak. The first thing she had to do was the lock down and secure the area. She instructed all the inmates to get back to their cells. They did. Then she performed the Heimlich maneuver on Deputy Kelly and it worked.

“It’s not just that she did it but how she did it. She showed loving kindness.”

Marshall, who has been a deputy for one year but served as a detention officer the previous six, said winning the award felt “great.”

“I just got back from mandate training [that day],” she said. “It was a situation we had prepared for in training. I responded when I saw the officer chocking. I just put my training in place.”

Kelley, who also attended the luncheon, said she is forever indebted to Marshall for saving her life.

“I’m just glad she was there,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do. From the moment she came and per-formed the Heimlich, she acted quickly. I’m glad she didn’t [panic].”

Atlanta Fire Rescue Department Firefighter/Paramedic Adolphus Henderson was the third public safety honoree. He was lauded for his work and attitude following a serious motorcycle accident that occurred in 2009 on Interstate 285 near Hollowell Parkway while he was off duty.

Reading from Battalion 6 Chief Bryant Tate’s notes on why Henderson was selected for the honor, Shaver said, “He was thrown under a tractor trailer. He had a broken pelvis, a severed femoral artery and nearly lost four toes. ... The road to recovery was a long one and took 10 months. After he recovered, he found a renewed faith in God. … Upon my arrival to Battalion 6, I noticed that drive on my station routes. Every time I saw this young man, he always had his head in a book, learning.”

Henderson, who is with Engine 23A at Fire Station 23 on Howell Mill Road in Buckhead, has been with the department nine years.

“It feels good. I was actually very surprised when Chief Tate told me about it [one to two days before the event],” he said. “I was very honored to receive the award.”

Of the public safety honors, Shaver said, “One of the thoughts that came to mind was the 19 firefighters in Arizona [who died in June fighting a wildfire]. As a community, we kind of take [public safety officers] for granted and expect them to be there. … These awards are a way to not take them for granted and to show we, as a community in Buckhead, value what they do. All three of the departments actually said they are appreciative of the awards.”

In addition to public safety awards, the organization honored Karen Losin with the Karl A. Bevins Service Award, named for the longtime member who died at 96 in 2011. It goes to a member with at least five years of experience.

Losin, owner of Just Add Wine and a Buckhead resident, was shocked to receive the accolade.

“I’m usually not at a loss for words, but I am,” she said as she choked back tears.

She served on the association’s board for five years, including her current role as vice president of the Taste of Buckhead Business. She is a past president of the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta and is a member of several other organizations.

“I’m surprised but deeply honored,” Losin said after the meeting. “I also knew Karl Bevins. He was one of the first people I met when I joined the BBA in 2005, a quiet strength. I was thankful that when I was vice chair of socials, he could be there for the [2010] holiday party because it was at Lenbrook [retirement community], where he lived.”

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is grateful to the members of the Buckhead Business Association for honoring public safety workers for heroic acts. This recognition means a great deal to deputies and Deputy Y. Marshall is no exception. Thank you for your good works.

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